The Fallen
by CarlyBee96
Summary: an Island 8 Refugees, 2 Criminals, 2 Fallen Navy Men and a Devestated Crew what will happen when a ordinary shore party goes wrong?
1. Chapter 1

"Alright just got word from NavCom we are to head to Paradise Island to pick up 8 refugees. Nav get us there ASAP" the Captain of Australian Warship HMAS Hammersley Mike Flynn said as he hanged up the Sat phone.  
>"Aye Sir Steer 120 Port 30 Revouloutions 880" Nav said "Steering 120 Port 30 Revoloutions 880" ET replied typing in the appointed coordinates.<br>"Nav how long till we get there?" Mike asked "full speed we will be there by 0120 hours Sir" Nav replied marking a course on her map. As Navigator she was the one to steer the ship in the right direction, dodging reefs you name it thats what she was Nikki Caetano the Navigtor of HMAS Hammersley.

"X Pipe Boarding stations" Mike said looking over at his blonde headed companion Kate McGregor the Executive Officer onboard the ship. Mike and Kate had a past together, they had an affair when she was a student and he was her Teacher. She was doing a course at ADFA Australian Defence Force Academy, the only thing was if anybody found out their careers were as good as over. It was against the rules they had broken the non-fraternization rule, a rule were Sailors were not allowed to date other Sailors on the same ship and deffinately not teachers and students. "Aye Sir" Kate replied "Hands to Boarding stations, Hands to Boarding stations, Hands to Boarding station" she announced through the PA.

They arrived on Paradise Island to find no refugees and their campsite completely trashed. "Ma'am" 2Dads the Junior Electronic Technicion said "I'm getting a bad feeling about this"  
>"So am I" Kate replied "Ah- Ma'am your going to want to see this" Buffer the ships Bosun said going slightly pale. Kate took long strides to where Buffer stood, their layed 8 bodies all with four gun shot wounds one in the forehead, one in the chest and one in each shoulder.<br>"Oh God is that the sign of the cross?" Kate asked "Yes Ma'am" Buffer replied looking away from the dead bodies.  
>"Thats sick" Bomber the chef and second medic said walking over to where Buffer and Kate stood with the bodies of the eight refugees.<br>"Right we need to get back to the ship to get fully equipped for a thura search for whoever may have done this"  
>"Aye Ma'am" the crew all chorused<p>

They were heading back to the RHIB's when gunshots sounded and two men fell, not a sound was heard from these men once the gunshots had been fired. Rushing over to the two fallen sailors Swain and Bomber checked for their pulses and found none, it appeared Petty Officer Josh 'ET' Holiday and Leading Seaman Billy 'Spider'  
>Webb were dead. Kate let out a sob her bestriends Fiance was dead her friends, her family the only family she ever had, now they were dead. How was she possibly going to tell Nav her Fiance was dead. Bomber was holding the lifeless form of Spider her boyfriend, they had kept their relationship a secret because of the Navy regulations, she cried her heart out her boyfriend was dead along with his best mate one of her closest friends.<p>

"Papa 82 this is X-Ray 82" Kate said through her radio "X- Ray 82 this is Papa 82 go ahead X" Mike radioed back "Sir we came under fire, 2 crew members now deceased" Mike sighed he had just heard he had just lost two crew members, two of his family he hadn't even been told who had died yet but he already felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest "Who is it X?" Mike finally asked "Spider and ET" Kate sobbed "NO-" Nav cried at hearing ET's name, ET her Fiance "why, why him?" Nav sobbed as Mike rushed to catch her as she lost her balance and fell backwards, the shock was all too much for her.  
>"Nikki I'm sorry I'm so sorry" Mike sobbed pulling Nav back up to her feet.<p>

The RHIB's arrived back at the ship and the crew moved off to gear up to go backl to shore. Nav and Mike stood by the RHIB crane and watche don as the lifeless forms of Spider and ET were lifted up onto Deck. Nav ran up and cried into the chest of ET. "Nav they have to take him down to Austeree" Mike said walking up to where Nikki layed with ET. "Why, why him?" Nikki asked in between sobs "I don't know Nav, I don't know" Just as Mike said that Kate appeared in a full Kevlar vest with extra plates holding a Kevlar vest and 9mm pistol which she handed to Mike. "we need you in the boarding party" she said "right" he replied "Charge taken Nav down to her cabin" Andy 'Charge' Thorpe walked over and lead Nikki 'Nav' Caetano down to her cabin.  
>"are you okay?" Mike asked Kate with a hint of sorrow in his voice "No not really" she replied "but I will be when we catch these guys"<br>"then what are we waiting for?"

They had just arrived on shore Paradise Islan when Kate prepared the search party teams "okay Swain and 2Dads team Charlie, Bomber and Buffer team Echo and Sir your with me team X-Ray. Charlie take the east, Echo West and X-Ray will take the south remember these guys are armed and dangerous so Firearms at the ready and stay alert" and with that the teams parted their ways."

"Kate it's not your fault" Mike said out of the blue in the middle of the search for the criminals who murdered two of their crew.  
>"It is I was their Devisional Officer"<br>"Kate please don't blame yourself they are obviously trained killers, they murdered 8 innocent refugees" Mike said quite upset that Kate was blaming herself. "yer I couldn't even save them" Kate shot back "Kate please" Mike begged "No Mike I was meant to protect them aswell and I failed their lives were taken because I didn't get to them in time" "Kate you didn't get a chance to save them" Mike said still trying to convice Kate it wasn't her fault.  
>"Mike they were clearly alive when we arrived on shore you spoke to them for crying out loud, for all we know they could have been under duress. Mike we had orders to rescue them an we failed Mike we failed" she wasn't addressing him as Sir, this was a personal matter. Kate felt responsible, she felt responsible for the death of the 8 refugees and the death of her two crew mates. Just as Kate finished her rambiling there was an explosion. Mike jumpt down and dragged Kate down with him.<br>Mike layed ontop of Kate craddiling her head. Once the explosion was over with Mike whispered into Kates ear "are you ok?"  
>"yer I'm good what about you?" she asked "yer I'm good" he replied looking into her beautiful greens eyes that were glassy and slightly red and puffy from all the crying she had been doing. They layed there for a while both content from being back in each others arms before the Radio crackeled to life bringing them both back to reality.<br>"X-Ray 82 this is Echo 82 do you copy over?"  
>"Echo 82 this is X-Ray 82 loud and Clear" Mike replied grinning down at Kate whom was doing the same thing right back at him. "was the explosion near you?" Buffer asked "yer it was but we are all good no harm done" Mike replied<p>

"I suppose we better get up" Kate said quietly almost like a whisper from where she layed underneath Mike on the juicy green grass of Paradise Island.  
>"I suppose so" Mike replied. Mike and Kate got up and started running Pistols raised as they did so, that is when she saw it out of the corner of her eye a man no two men hiding behind a tree. Tapping Mikes shoulder to she pointed towards the tree and he saw the two men Kate had spotted. It all happened so fast the two men jumped up from their position behind the tree both holding a gun "Australian Navy Drop your weapons!" Mike and Kate both yelled at the same time but it was too late the men were already firing.<br>Mike and Kate both jumped to the side trying to dodge the bullets path but unfortunately for one of them they weren't quick enough.

"Kate your bleeding" Mike said worry evident in his voice "I'm fine the bullet must have just scrapped my arm it's no big deal" Kate said trying to just brush it off "It's a big deal Kate your bleeding we have to get you back to the ship" he replied standing her up and wrapping her good arm around his shoulder for support whilst he radioed thorugh to the other teams.  
>"X-Ray 82 to all units abort, abort, abort mission head back to the RHIB's this is a job for the feds now" Mike said rather dissapointingly<p>

Mike was really dissapointed they hadn't been able toto catch these killers, but he wouldn't be able to focus knowing his Katie was injured.  
>"Go to the Wardroom and get Swain to check you out" Mike said to Kate once they arrived back on the ship "I don't really have a choice there do I?" Kate replied "Kate' He said sternly "I don't want to loose you so you have to go to the wardroom and get checked out I need to know properly that you are alright. I can't live with you just telling me you are alright because I know you are to stubborn for your own good" Kate chuckeled at what Mike had just said about her. Slowly she closed the distant gap between them. They were chest to chest, with one hand she reached up and caressed his cheek as he slowly bowed his head to hers breaking the final gap between them as his lips crashed down onto hers. The kiss was a passionate one full of love and emotion.<br>"come to the wardroom with me" she whispered as they finally broke apart for air "Of course" he replied taking her hand in his and leading the way down to the wardroom.

Kate had been patched up by the ships medic the coxswain Chris Blake and was currently lying on Mikes rack whilst he sat at his desk finishing off some paperwork.  
>Kate didn't go back to her cabin, Nav was in there probably crying she couldn't face Nikki now she was her bestfriend but she had lost her Fiance under her watch so she decided she would make her presence known in the CO's cabin.<br>"I told you I was fine" Kate siad.  
>"It's better to be safe than sorry" Mike replied looking at the heap of paperwork on his desk realising he most likely won't get through it all.<br>"are you having fun there" she asked "your most welcome to help" he replied. When Mike gained no response he became worried. Jumping out of his seat he ran over to his rack where Kate layed unconciously.  
>"Kate" he yelled "Kate hunny wake up" he yelled again shacking her. Thats when he saw it there was blood everywhere, she was loosing a heck of alot of blood. Gently but swiftly he lifted her up into his arms carrying her bridal style. <p>


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Taking fast long strides down the small corridoors of HMAS Hammersley all Mike did was yell one name and that name was Swain.  
>"SWAIN!" He yelled again, this time Swain ran out of the wardroom and saw Mike walking fastly towards him carrying an unconcious Kate.<br>"Sir what happened?" Swain asked "we were talking and then she was just like this" Mike replied  
>"well judging by her overalls she has lost alot of blood to much to be honest"<br>"so what does that mean?" Mike asked confused as to what was happening to Kate "we need to do a blood transfusion or we could loose her. Whats her blood type?" Swain asked as Mike checked her dog Tags  
>"B Positive" he replied "right we dont have time to bag it we need someone on the ship that's the same blood type as her do you know anyone?" Swain asked "Bomber, Bombers B Positive" Mike said hurrying off in search of Bomber.<p>

It was logical the first place you would look for Bomber would be the galley considering she was the ships Chef. "Bomber" he said when he found her "your blood type,  
>it's B Positive right?" he asked "yes why?" she replied "your needed in the wardroom" Mike replied once again hurrying off back to the wardroom Bomber in tow.<br>"oh God" Bomber muttered as she entered the wardroom and took in the sight of a very pale and unconcious Kate. "Right Bob we don't have time to bag it" Swain said as he connected a cord that ran Bombers blood straight from her veins and into Kates.  
>"Sir Ambulance is waiting for us at Port" Buffer said poking his head into the wardroom "thanks Buff how long till we get to port?" Mike asked "5 minutes Sir" Buffer replied "right Swaino I'm going with her" Mike said<p>

Mike is sitting next to Kate in the Ambulance she has just been given an adrenaline shot to help wake her up, with a loud gasp Kate shoots up from where she is lying on the stretcherand her eyes burst open "where am I?" she asks " you are in an Ambulance on your way to Hospital" one of the Paramedics notifies her "why though?" she asks "I'm fine "well you are fine now, once at Hospital we will need to put some stitches in that wound on your arm" the paramedic said thinking to himslef God we have got another stubborn Lieutenant on our hands"  
>"why the stitches it's just a scrape nothing too serious" Kate replys which she hears Mike chuckle at what she had said "what's so funny?" she asked him "Kate hunny you have been unconcious for a good 30 minutes you had to have a blood transfusion" he replied taking her hand in his as she could only to respond with an "oh" as she realised what had everyone frantically panicking.<p>

The doors of the Ambulance burst open and Kate was rappidly wheeled into Hospital, Mike walking beside her the whole time till she reached the operarting theatre.  
>Kate was taken into Surgery for two reasons,one being they needed to stitch up her wound and the other they needed to clean the wound so it didn't cause a infection.<p>

Mike was sitting in the waiting room when a doctor walked in and called out Kate's name "Kate McGregor" the doctor called out which Mike rose out of his seat when the doctor called out her name "alright Kates surgery when well, she is awake now in ICU we will just need to keep her overnight for observations" the doctor said to Mike "Thanks" Mike replied "Can I see her"

He walked into the room that she was currently occuping in ICU. He took in the sight of her form she looked alot better than what she had in the wardroom earlier that day. She recognised the prescence of someone else in the room she looked over to the doorway where Mike stood. "Hey" she said "Hey yourself" he replied walking over to where she layed on the bed and gave her a peck on the lips. "Doctor wants to keep you overnight for observations" Mike said to her which Kate groanned at "Don't they believe me when I say I am fine"  
>"because you are stubborn and there is too many people that care about you" Mike replied brushing away the hair off her face.<p>

"Mike you are not going back to Paradise Island and thats final" Commander of Cairns Naval Base NavCom Steve Marshall said.  
>'With all due respect Sir, these criminals killed two of my men and they are still out there running free" Mike replied "thats the thing Mike they killed two of your men and they nearly killed Kate, these criminals can just as easily kill you" Steve said frustrated that Mike wasn't taking into consideration really how dangerous these guys were and his own safety. Mike looked at Kate who was sitting next to him equally as disappointed as him.<p>

Mike and Kate walked out of NavCom and towards Mikes car "Okay what are you thinking?" Kate asked breaking the silence they had fallen into. "I'm thinking of ignoring what Steve said" Mike replied "I knew it" Kate clapped satisfied that she had read Mikes thoughts before she added "although we can loose our jobs for this"  
>"I know" Mike said "I won't be able to rest until I have them put away"<br>"I?" sh easked confused as to why it wasn't we as they were a team.  
>"yes your on light duties, Kate you just had surgery yesterday" he replied sneakily wrapping his around her waist and pulling her closer to him "Mike just this once let me help on this one are not the only one that is frustrated" Kate replied "fine but if anything happens to you" Mike started but couldn't finish as Kate buttered in "Mike nothings going to happen to me, to us we are the best aren't we?"<br>"that we are Kate" he replied planting a kiss on her lips once they reached his car.

"Sir!" Lieutenant Jack Davies yelled running into Commander Marshalls office "Lieutenant what is it?" Marshall asked "Sir Hammersley was just spotted leaving port" "what!"Steve Marshall yelled "Oh Mike you are in alot of trouble when you get back" Steve mumbeled to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

"umm Sir if you don't mind me asking but did you get approval for us to set sail especially with the X injured" Nav asked "No he didn't and I'm fine" Kate pipped up from where she was instructured to sit from their Captain Mike Flynn.  
>"so you keep telling us X" He replied grinning back at her.<p>

"X you are not going on the shore party" Mike said as Kate walked down to the boarding party station.  
>"yer try and stop me" she replied putting on a Kevlar vest "Kate" Mike said quietly grabbing her wrist "Kate it's too dangerous" he pleaded "and I'm more dangerous"she replied looking into Mikes pleading deep blue eyes.<br>"But if anything happens to you" he started but once again he was cut off by her again "Mike nothings going to happen, not this time any way" she replied walking off to the pistol cabinet.

They had split up just over 15 minutes a go and were now searching the island in pairs. of course Mike was paired up with Kate he wasn't dairing to leave her side, not after what had happened last time they were on the island.  
>"X-Ray to all units do you copy?" Kate radioed through to all the other pairs.<br>"X-Ray 82 this is Charlie 82 loud and clear ma'am" Swain replied back "Echo 82 this is X-Ray 82 do you copy over?" Kate radioed again concern growing after she hadn't recieved a response from two of her ship mates.  
>"X-Ray 82 this is Echo 82 thats an affirmative X, we have a visual on the aspects of moving East from our position" Buffer replied.<br>"copy that Echo 82 be with you as soon as we can"

Mike and Kate ran through the jungle of Paradise Island to Echo's positions. They saw Bomber and Buffer squating behind a tree pistold raised towards their target. Out of the corner of her eye Bomber saw Mike and Kate approaching them and then Swain and 2Dads approach them. Kate who was always in charge of Shore Partys and Boardings started issueing out instructions, extending her arm out she pointed towards Swain and 2Dads hitting her chest twice she raised two fingers indicating the west and then dropped her palm in a swift motion. Charlie 82 was to take the west side of their suspects pistols raised at the ready and to wait for the signal to move in. Dropping her palm again looking at Buffer and Bomber she told them to stay put till further instructions. Mike and Kate headed off to the East of their suspects "all units get ready to move in on 3. 1...2...3!" Kate yelled "Australian Navy Drop your weapons!" all the teams yelled approaching the suspects. "Don't even think about it" Buffer yelled to one of the suspects ignored Buffers warning and tried to escape chasing after him Buffer grabbed the hood of his jumper and yanked him backwards Pushing him on to the ground and tying his hands up behind his back to make sure he was secure before Buffer moved to disabelling his guns "Clear" Swain yelled from behind him "you right mate?"he asked "yer thanks Swain" Buffer replied

"All suspects secure, head back to the ship" Mike ordered "You alright?" Kate asked as she checked Mikes eyes over where he had been punched in the face by an aggresive suspect.  
>"Yer I'm fine" he replied running his hand through her hair.<br>"make sure you put an icepack on it when we get back to the ship" she told him sternly.  
>"Kate it's not as bad as it looks" he said trying to reassure her "besides your the one that's more injured than I am"<br>"I have already been checked out now it's your turn" she replied walking off in the direction of the RHIBs.

"where's Swain?" Mike asked Bomber as he walked into the wardroom. "he is down in the Austerre with the suspects"she replied "you after an icepack?" she asked pointing towards his bruised and battered black eye.  
>"me, yer" He chuckled Bomber had just put the icepack on Mikes eye when Kate entered the wardroom "I'll take over from here thanks Bomber" she said "yes ma'am" Bomber replied handing the icepack to Kate and leaving the wardroom. Kate took the icepack and waited from Bomber and waited till she left the room to put it up against Mikes eye. Mike pulled her closer to him arm wrapped around his waist, as her free arm was resting on his shoulder and brushing her fingers through his hair.<br>Mike lent in closer to her kissing her ever so gently.

"what were you guys thinking?" Commander Marshall yelled at the two lieutenants sitting in his office. "totally my decision Kate had nothing to do with it" Mike replied trying to get Kate out of trouble.  
>"Mike I get why you wanted to go back out there, that's not why I said no it was a too risky operation you guys could have been seriously injured" Marshall sighed "sir none of us were injured and we did catch the suspects" Kate piped up.<br>"Kate I know you caught them and welldone on that, but lets not forget how you nearly did just over 48 hours ago"  
>"But I didn't and I'm fine now" Kate replied rolling her eyes at how possesive the two men in her life could be. Mike was her partner and Steve was her father figure since she was fostered into his family.<p>

"Phew" Mike said as they left Marshall's office "I though we were going to get discharged" "Yer I know, we didn't even get some sort of punishment" Kate replied hopping into the passenger seat of Mikes car. "and whats with all the it was all my idea Kate had nothing to do with it?" Kate asked when Mike started the car "Kate it was my idea and I didn't want to stuff up both our careers in the process" Mike replied.  
>"Fine but what matters is we caught the guys who killed those 8 refugees and ET and Spider"<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

It had came to the day of the memorial service of ET and Spider aswell as the award ceremony for the crew of Hammersley. "You ready?" Kate asked Nav walking into their cabin "as ready as I'll ever be" Nav replied drawing in a breath "Nik you are not alone in this" Kate told her looking her directly in the eyes "I know Kate, thankyou" she replied her voice husky as she broke down into tears again.

"HMAS Hammersley HO!"The Priest yelled bringing all the sailors into a upright position. "off caps" he once again he yelled as an order for all the sailors to remove their caps in respect to their fallen sailors as Mike Flynn began his speech.  
>"How do we frame our grief, how do we make sense of the lives taken away so early. These are things that we will for years to come and there are no easy answers.<br>What is clear though is the way ET and Spider lived their lives, They represented the first valuesof the Royal Australian Navy, they believed passionately, they were loyal to their crew and they never sherfed their duty. They were couragious, deligent and their sense of humor could defuse even the most difficult situations. They were sons, they were brothers, they were friends and they" Mike paused as he slightly lost his composure, he quickly glanced in the direction of Kate whom gave a nod urging him to go on as she gripped tightly on both Lieutenant Nikki Caetano and Able Seaman Rebecca Browns hands. Regaining his composure Mike continued "They were members of my crew. we will miss them" Mike finished.  
>"I know commence Leading Seaman Billy Webb and Petty Officer Joshua Holiday into the sea may their souls rest in Peace" the Priest announced.<br>"General Salute" Buffer yelled "Preset up" he once again yelled in officer tone as Leading Seaman Robert Dixon, Seaman Jessica Bird and Leading Seaman Leo Kosov-Meyer raised their firearms to their bodys, as the Anzac song began to be played by Cheif Petty Officer Chris Blake through his trumpet. "Preset" Buffer yelled again ordering the three sailors to raise there firearms to the sky as the parents of Billy Webb and Joshua Holiday released their Ashes into the ocean "Fire!" Buffer yelled as one gun shot from each sailors fire arm was sounded "Fire!" he again yelled "Fire!" he yelled for the last time as Petty Officer Andy Thorpe picked up the big Reef where he carried it towards the edge of the ship and released it into the ocean.

"In an honour of the crew of HMAS Hammersley outstanding effort and Bravery I am pleased to present to them the Australian Defence Medal" Steve Marshall siad "Unfortunately Leading Seaman Webb and Petty Officer Holiday are not able to collect their medals so would one of the family members like to come forward to collect their medal" Billy 'Spider' Webbs ten year old little sister stepped forward and was presented with the medal as Josh 'ET' Holidays twin sister stood forward to collected his.  
>"Lieutenant Commander Mike Flynn I present to you the Australian Defence Medal congratulations on your achievements" Steve said saluting Mike and presenting him with his war medal like he did with the rest of the crew of HMAS Hammersley.<p>

Mike dissapeared after the ceremony so Kate went in search of him and by no surprise she found him in his cabin "Hey" she said entering his cabin and sitting down on his rack "Hey" he replied "you ready to go home?" he asked "ready when you are" she answered. Mike got up out of his desk chair and stood in front of Kate where he took her and instructing her to get up which she did, now standing Mike slipped his arm around her waist and lead her out of his cabin. They both didn't need to say anything just being in each others company was enough but right now they just needed to be sad for the two family members they had just lost


End file.
